Fluid-brake for guns.



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.APPLICATION FILED APB.. 10, 1907.

Patent-,ea Febds, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER HEILEMANN, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASS'IGNOR T0 FRIED. KRUPI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, F ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY,

FLUID-BRAKE FOR GUNS.

4Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2s, 1911.

Application filed April 10, 1907. Serial No. 367,347.-

I brakes for guns provided with a hollow piston rod and with a return rod which, during the return movement of the recoiling parts, causes the brake-Huid to pass out from the hollow piston rod.

An object of the invention is to provide a brake of this type in whichr the recoil braking action may be more easily calculated and a longer return braking action secured.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the vinvention andl parts of a recoil-gun, partly in vertical longitudinal section and partlyy in elevation. The parts are shown in the positions which they occupy when the gun-barrelis in firing position; Fig. 2 is a section of a detail on line 2-2,.Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is-a'v view corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing the parts in the relative positions which they assume at the end of the recoil; Fig. 4 shows a part of a second embodiment in a view corre sponding to that shown in Fig. 1, andFig. 5 shows a detail in sect-ion on line 5*,5, Fig. 4, seen from the right.

. Reference willirst be had to the embodi-l -ment shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The. gun barre'l A is in 'the customary manner mounted to slideon the cradle B which incloses both the recuperator spring E and the iuid brake. The fluid .brake consists of the brake cylinder C, the brake piston D, its hollow piston-rod D and the return rod F. The brake cylinder C is rigidly connected to the horn a of the gun barrel and the piston rod D is rigidly connected to the cradle B. The wall of the brake cylinder is provided with channels c for the passage of the brakeiluid into a projection c2 which is arranged on that end of the brake cylinder that is secured to the horn a. The rod F is guided in a central bore in the piston D and projects so far into the hollow piston rod D" that it does not leave the piston rod when the gun barrel recoils (Fig. Flat channels d2 (Fig. 2) are provided in the wall of the central bore in the piston l). 'Bhe return rod F and the projection c2 are hollow. Channels c3, which have a larger cross-sectional circulation area than the channels d2, lead from the projection c2 into the brake cylinder. Reckoned from the piston-rod side, the channels c3 consequently open to the other side of `that cross-sectional circulation area for the brake in depth in the direction of recoil the aforesald cross-sectional circulation area. will, 1n

any position of the brake cylinder relatively to the piston, be located in the plane of that face of the piston which forms the end wall for the piston-rod side of the brake cylinder. In the projection c2 a check valve G H is mounted, and has its valve body G guided by ribs p in a bushing P arranged in the projection 02.

When the gun-barrel is in the .tiring position the parts of the :Huid brake assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 1. All the spaces of the brake are lled with fluid. The brake cylinder C and the return rod F partake of the recoil and return movement created in the piston rod is, however, filledv by brake fluid passing from the piston side of the brake cylinder through the channels c and around the valve body G to the piston rod'. On the return movement, the return rod tends to-displace fluid from the .on the piston side of the brake cylinder und the valve G Il will consequently become closed. The brake fluid can then I,pass out from the hollow piston rod only through the flat channels d2. The fluid therefore becomes very much throttled and the return movement of the gun-barrel is subjected to a strong braking action which is assisted by4 the fact that rthe fluid passing through the channels c from the piston side of the brake cylinder to the piston rod side is also throttled during its passage through the channels c'. When the return movement has come to an end, the dilerence in pressure inl the several spaces of the fluid brake ceases and the parts again assume the posit-ions seen in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the return rod J is solid and is direct-ly screwed into that end wall of the brake cylinder- L which is connected to the horn a. The piston K is provided with a chamber k2 which communicates with the bore in the piston rod K and is connected with the piston side of the brake cylinder through.

the medium of channels 7c3. In the chamber k2 is an annular valve body M which by a spring N is pressed against the end wall 7c* of the piston which has the channels 7c3 and which serves as a valve seat. This arrangement operates in substantially the same manner as the embodiment first described.

The Aonly previously known fluid brakes, in which thefilling of the hollow space of the piston rod takes place from the piston side of the brake cyl1nderaccomplish this purpose by using a return rod whichis so short that its passes out of the bore of the piston rod on recoil. The drawbacks of this arrangement are especially apparent when the recoil is of varying length, in which case the return rod must be so short that it passes out of thev piston rod also when the recoilris shortest', The return'braking is then very deficient on long recoil. The present fluid brake differs from the aforesaid known type of brakes for the reason that the return rod may be as long as possible and that the return, therefore, can be braked during a long distance. A long braking travel ives a steadier return than a short one. om-

pared with those brakes of the aforesaid kind in which the channels, which effect the filling of the hollow space of the piston-rod, open at the piston-rodl 'side of the brake cylinder, the brake according to the present invention presen-ts the advantage that the recoil braking action is m re easily calculated because theh brake flui from the piston rod side of the brake cylinder has only one outlet, viz., the passage-channels to the other side of the brake cylinder.`

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. In a fluid brake in which fluid passes from one side of the pist-011 to another, the combination with the cylinder and the piston, of a hollow piston rod having its hollow space closed toward the 4piston rod side of the cylinder, a rod moving in the hollow-piston rod, means providing communication between the hollow space of the piston `rod and the piston side of the cylinder to permit fluid to pass from the piston side of the cylinder to said hollow space during recoil, and means whereby said communication is partially out oil' during return movement to throttle the ilow of fluid from said hollow space to the piston side of the cylinder.

2. In a fluid brake, a piston having a hollow piston rod, a cylinder having a passage -through which the fluid can pass from one side of the piston to another, a rod moving in said pistonrod, a restrictedpassage providing continuous communication between the hollow space of the piston rod and the piston side of the cylinder, a second passage leading from the hollow space of the piston rod to the piston side of the cylinder, and means whereby said last-named passage is automatically closed during return movement.

3. In a uid brake, a cylinder, a piston provided with a hollow piston rod having its hollow space closed toward the piston rod side of the cylinder, a passage providing communication between the piston side and the iston rod side of the cylinder, av rod moving in the hollow piston rod, means providing communication between the piston side of the cylinder and the hollow space of the piston rod, and meansA whereby said communication is partially cut off during return movement.

4. In a fluid brake for guns in which a fluid passes from one side, of a piston to another, the combination with the cylinder and the piston, of a hollow piston rod, an inlet to the hollow piston rod communicatin directly only with that space of the cy inder into which the fluid enters after having passed the recoil throttling section of. the brake, and means permitting afull ilow through said inlet only to fill the p1ston rod.

5'. In a fluid brake for guns, the combination with the cylinder having throttling grooves provided within its inner wall for aportion of its length of a hollow piston rod a hollow return rod mounted to telescope within said piston rod and communica-tmg at one end with said cylinder; a valve in said l return rod adapted to preventl 110W therethrough during the return movement'of the gun; and a piston carried by the inner end of said hollow piston rod, said piston being 5 provided with a. continuously open channel between the hollow piston rod, and the piston end of the cylinder. n

The foregoing specification signed at Dusseldorf, Germany, this twenty ninth day of January, 1907.

7 WALTER HEILEMANN.

In presence O15-'- ALFRED POHLMEYER,

M. ENGELS. 

